


Day 239

by Josh_the_Bard



Series: A Year in Kirkwall [239]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:20:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26148574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard
Series: A Year in Kirkwall [239]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257
Kudos: 1





	Day 239

Evelina passed Emile asleep in the library. She rolled her eyes at the young noble, it was not even midday yet. Word was that he would be called for his Harrowing soon, a tough challenge for the most skilled mages and Emile was far from that. The rumor was that Orsino was pushing for more mages to undertake their Harrowing so that Meredith would have to present actual evidence that they were maleficarum in order to make them tranquil. Evelina would rather have been made tranquil then become possessed, but she knew that she was in the minority.

The thought of leaving Emile to his fate crossed my mind. He was the son of a nobleman and the privilege of the nobility expended even to the confines of the Circle. His father had made ‘donations’ to the Circle to ensure his son had the best tutors. Well, the best enchanters had done everything they could but Emile was still the worst mage Evelina had ever seen. He seemed to think himself entitled to everything, and the Circle was happy to oblige.

But every mage that fell to demons, weather in a Harrowing or otherwise, made the templars just that much jumpier and quick to wield the brand. When one of them faltered, they all fell.

Evelina collected as many books as she could hold at one time and dropped them on the desk in front of Emile. The boy jumped almost all the way out of his seat and let out a surprised gasp. 

“What?” he stammered. “Who are you?” Of course he wouldn’t remember her name.

“I am Evelina,” she said. “Where are your tutors?”

“I was tired,” he said. “They left me to have a nap, which you seem to have woken me from.”

“This is a surprise test,” Evelina declared. “To see how much of your lessons you have retained.”

“No one told me.” Emile pouted.

“That’s why it’s called a surprise test,” she said dryly. “What are the different categories of demons?”

“Oh that’s easy,” he said. “Fear, Desire, Rage, Pride, Envy...” He hesitated searching his memories. It looked like it was taking a good deal of effort.

“And Sloth,” Evelina supplied. “Sloth, as in slacking off when you should be studying.”

She felt a hand on her shoulder. Evelina turned to see one of the senior enchanters looking down at her.

“What are you doing?” he asked. He took Evelina by the arm and led her down another row of shelves, telling Emile to go back to his nap.

“I’m trying to make sure this pampered pup is ready to face a demon when he needs to. His time is coming and he is sleeping his time away.”

“Emile is sickly, he had bouts of extreme exhaustion that strike without warning. He works best when we let him nap.”

“What absolute hogwash,” Evelina snorted. “Just because his father-”

“This has nothing to do with his father or his money,” the enchanter said. “We have tried magical remedies and mundane ones. It happened during his lessons as often as during his free time.”

“So why isn’t he in his quarters? Sleeping in a bed?” Evelina asked.

“Because the templars get suspicious if he keeps ‘sneaking off’ to the dormitories but they pay no mind if he naps in the library.”

“His Harrowing is coming if he doesn't-”

“If he doesn't get enough rest he won’t have the willpower he needs to resist.”

Evelina resisted the urge to argue further. She was not very familiar with Emile and what the Enchanter said could be true. She would only make a further ass of herself if she pushed harder and, truth be told, she was not all that invested in the education of the young nobleman anyway. She had completely forgotten why she had come into the library in the first place and so left to go find some other way to make herself useful. Maybe she could assist the tranquill in their work.


End file.
